Cold Dish

Summer Soups

Cold soup may not sound like an appealing menu item, but chilled summer soups can be a perfect dish to dress up an afternoon meal with friends. And the more exotic the soup, the more impressed your friends are likely to be. We searched the Internet and found two recipes that look delicious. Brunch, anyone?

Gazpacho originated in Spain and is a sumptuous summer soup because it's made with a variety of fresh vegetables readily available in the summer months. Gazpacho recipes usually include small chunks of bread and up to a pint of cold water or ice cubes, but we liked this heavy-on-the-garden-vegetables. option. And you can always serve it with slices of crusty Italian bread on the side or garnish it with garlic croutons.

Peel cucumber and slice lengthwise into halves. Scoop out seeds by running the tip of a teaspoon down center of each half. Discard the seeds and grate the cucumber coarsely. In a bowl, stir the yogurt with a whisk until completely smooth. Gently but thoroughly beat in the grated cucumber, vinegar, olive oil, mint, dill and salt. Do not over beat. Taste for seasoning. Refrigerate soup at least two hours, or until thoroughly chilled. Garnish with fresh mint.